Entertainment

iPhone OS 3.0 Released: What You Should Know

Last week, during Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC), we learned of the day when the iPhone 3.0 Operating System would be available for iPhones everywhere: June 17th. Well, if you take a look at your calendar, that day has arrived, and soon Apple phone owners will be buzzing about push notifications or their newfound ability to cut, copy and paste.

While you may know many of the features that are coming out with the iPhone 3.0 update, you probably don't know them all, and you may not even know where to download the software. This short guide provides a quick overview of the iPhone 3.0 software, what to expect, and what's upcoming in terms of applications and the iPhone 3G S.

Downloading

iPhone 3.0 is available for all iPhone, iPhone 3Gs, and iPod Touches. Some features won't be available for first generation iPhones, while iPod Touch OS downloads won't come free - it costs $9.95. To download, you can visit Apple's Software Update page.

New features to expect

A screenshot doesn't do the iPhone 3.0 justice, so we've embedded this recent demo and review by therevivedone.

While we won't go into the hundreds of new features that will be available in the iPhone 3.0 OS update, we do want to highlight the ones that are making headlines. These are the features that will make your phone feel like it's brand new. We've picked out our favorite thirteen:

3. Spotlight: iPhone 3.0's new search feature for music, contacts, email, and more. We've been dying for a search feature, for mail, and now we have it.

4. MMS: Multimedia messages can be sent over the iPhone...if your carrier supports it. AT&T subscribers, for example, have to wait until the end of summer to use MMS, although it should come with your standard text messaging plan.

5. Tethering: The iPhone 3.0 supports tethering with laptops and other devices, so that you can get Internet on-the-go. It won't come cheap, however, so we're not sure how many of us will be using this (without a jailbreak).

6. Downloadable Movies and TV Shows: As we reported last week, the iPhone's iTunes store will now have movies and TV shows you can buy and/or rent. There will also be audiobooks and educational content to download.

7. CalDAV Support: There will be better Calendar syncing as the iPhone 3.0 moves beyond the iCal/ics format and supports CalDAV, which is used by Google, Yahoo, and others. Syncing with your Google Calendar should now be possible.

8. Landscape for Mail and Notes: That tiny virtual keyboard can be a pain, so iPhone 3.0 allows you to go to landscape mode in the Mail and Notes apps. This makes typing out an email both faster and less mistake-riddled.

9. Voice Memos: There is a new application joining the iPhone line-up, and it allows you to record your thoughts or try to capture that class lecture. There are other uses for this, of course, but we'll leave the imagining up to you.

10. YouTube Login: It annoyed me to no end that I couldn't pull my favorite videos from my YouTube account into my iPhone, but now that problem is solved by logging in with a username and password.

11. Push Notifications: Finally, you'll know when your get a new IM message. Apps can send you messages even when not running.

12. Find my iPhone: Announced at WWDC, this feature allows you to ping your phone via MobileMe, even if it's in silent mode. You can also lock and wipe your iPhone from afar to protect the data.

13. Shake to Shuffle: Yep, if you get sick of a song, shake your iPhone like mad and something new will come up. Three cheers for accelerometer-based commands!

Be sure to tell us your favorite iPhone 3.0 feature in the comments.

iPhone 3G S, Apps, and What's Next

While the iPhone 3.0 lands today, you'll have to wait until Friday for the iPhone 3G Speed, the new generation of iPhone. It's biggest additions are increased computing capacity, video recording, increased battery life, a true compass, and higher photo quality. In fact, Apple put out a (long) video on all of the new things coming out for the iPhone 3G S. Overall though, it's not like the jump to the 3G, which saw the addition of major features like GPS. iPhone 3G S lands on June 19th - this Friday.

Many of your favorite applications will be receiving updates too to support in-application purchases, push notifications, and the ability to talk to 3rd party devices. Check out our article Top 6 iPhone 3.0 Apps to Watch to learn more about what's coming for iPhone 3.0 and 3G S.

It's time to get excited - Apple is about to make your iPhone a lot more useful. Tell us what you think about this update in the comments. And don't forget to leave your review!

Mashable
is a global, multi-platform media and entertainment company. Powered by its own proprietary technology, Mashable is the go-to source for tech, digital culture and entertainment content for its dedicated and influential audience around the globe.